by Kate Heaney
DONEGAL County Council has begun the long-awaited process of trying to bring vacant or derelict properties in the centre of Letterkenny Town back into use.
This week signs appeared on a number of vacant/derelict properties at Lower Main Street, posted by the Council, appealing for information from the public as to who the owners of the said properties might be.
The Council would like to hear from anyone with information about these properties before January 31.
Speaking to the Donegal News this week Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh said he was aware of the notices going up and looked forward to a regeneration of the area.
He pointed out that the council have now appointed two officers, one in charge of vacant properties and another in charge of derelict properties.
“We know there are around 50 vacant/derelict properties between the Station Roundabout and the Orchard Inn on High Road.
“We were recently presented with a booklet of all the properties involved.
“I think the council plan is that if they buy a couple of vacant/derelict houses and bring them back into use it will encourage other owners to do the same. There is up to €70,000 of a grant available to refurbish these properties,” Cllr Kavanagh stated.
Earlier this week Donegal County Council informed the Donegal News that to date 485 applications have been received for vacant/derelict property grants in the county and their status can be summarised as follows: 271 finalised (255 approved and 16 deemed not eligible): 206 in progress (for first inspection or with applicant awaiting further information) and eight withdrawn (by applicant).
The notice posted on the vacant/derelict properties at Letterkenny Lower Main Street reads as follows:- ‘Notice of inquiry’
“Donegal County Council has been awarded funding to tackle long term vacancy and dereliction in Letterkenny Town Centre and is prioritising actions to reduce the number of vacant/derelict properties and thus increase the supply of residential homes.
“This property has been identified as a vacant/derelict property on a recent survey and the council is seeking information on the ownership of this property including name(s) and contact details.
“If any member of the public has information on the owner of the property we kindly request that you make contact with the Council’s
Regeneration and Development team by January 31, 2024. Telephone 0749153900 or email lkyregen@donegalcoco.ie.”
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